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Women’s volleyball welcomes new assistant Page 12 September 15, 2016 — Vol. 95, Issue 1
Duhawks love their melons College-founded organization expands campaign to Loras. by MEGAN TEWS | sports co-editor
What do two college students, 75,000 hats, and $1.1 million have in common? They all have to do with the impact of an organization called Love Your Melon. As the company’s mission states, “Love Your Melon is an apparel brand dedicated to giving a hat to every child battling cancer in America, as well as supporting nonprofit organizations who lead the fight against pediatric cancer.” In 2012, two friends named Zach and Brian founded Love Your Melon while attending the University of St. Thomas. The duo had a goal of providing hats to children battling cancer, and their idea soared to amazing heights. Love Your Melon has donated over 75,000 hats to children and over $1.1 million to pediatric cancer research. In addition to inspiring children and their families, the orLoras College g a n i z a t i o n has been a is one of the motivation to most recent people across the country. schools Upon doing a to join cross-country the effort. tour to spread its message, Beginning Love Your this fall, a Melon disLove Your covered that Melon thousands of college stuorganization dents wantwill be ed to get inpresent on volved in the movement. campus This led to thanks to the the creation hard work of the Campus Crew of several Program that dedicated includes over students. 700 colleges and 11,000 students. Loras College is one of the most recent schools to join the effort. Beginning this fall, a Love Your Melon organization will be present on campus thanks to the hard work of several dedicated students. Senior Payton Van Vors is the architect behind making all this possible. “One of my friends started Love Your Melon at a different school, and I realized how important it was to get it at Loras. I think everyone is impacted by cancer, so any organization that works to help solve it or aid in cancer research is one worth starting,” said Van Vors. Loras’ chapter of Love Your Melon will be led by an executive board with Van Vors serving as the Captain. She is joined by senior Hannah Fritts as Vice Captain, senior Maura Zawaski as Secretary, and junior Rachel Seidl as Public Relations Chair. Additionally, a crew consisting of 20 members will act as liaisons between the organization and the Loras community. Anyone who is interested in the cause is welcome to join as volunteers. Love Your Melon will likely have a successful future on Loras’ campus as the founders are extremely passionate continued on page 3
President Collins: Welcome back! Dear Students,
Welcome! I always enjoy the start of a new academic year, and I trust you are finding early fulfillment with academic and co-curricular experiences. It’s nice to see so many familiar faces among our returning students, and it’s a pleasure to officially welcome our new firstyear, transfer and graduate students to campus. While we don’t yet have an official enrollment count, it’s safe to say that we’ll report similar total number with perhaps a slight increase from last academic year. Speaking of last academic year, we had any number of successes from which we can be both proud of and build upon. These accomplishments ranged from LCTV earning Best All-Around Television Newscast from the Region 7 Society of Professional Journalists Awards, Dance Marathon retaining its number one fundraising per capita status in the nation, men’s soccer finishing second in the country, and the sports management program winning its ninth national case study completion in the past 10 years. As we begin a new year, we unveil several new initiatives:
l We enroll our first cohort of students in our new school counseling graduate program l We launch our first 3/2 programs in athletic training and business administration l We now provide a biomedical track with our ABET-accredited engineering program l We rank among the top 30 baccalaureate colleges/universities in the country as cited by Washington Monthly. Specifically, we are No. 11 on the list l We open new spaces on campus to include: science hall lab, intercultural programs, campus ministry, the Zen Den in the counseling center, the ACC Convenience Store and Starbucks On-The-Go Like our student body, a majority of our faculty and staff return to campus while welcoming new colleagues. As always, our faculty and staff are here to serve, educate, push and encourage you to Be More. I strongly recommend that you take the time to get to know them, seek their counsel and find ways to learn from them. Collectively, they are well credentialed, deeply caring and enjoy opportunities to help you grow in all your learning experiences. With so much public unrest, negative political rhetoric, societal ignorance and
human brokenness, I challenge you to join me in continuing to make Loras the beacon from which others can learn. We must keep open minds and open hearts and engage in civil discourse even when we disagree. To the extent we can live our values, promote and honor the dignity of all, and serve and support those who are alone, broken or in need, we truly demonstrate the essence of the Loras community. In doing so, we must take charge of and be responsible for our own well-being. Be sure to focus on academics, practice your faith, stay physically active, get involved on and off campus, seek balance, be positive and stay away from negative forces. I know it sounds like a lot, but that’s why you’re here. Loras provides the people, programs and atmosphere for you to succeed at the highest levels. At all times, conduct yourself in a manner that honors yourself, your family and Loras College. We’ll help you along the way. After all, Duhawks support Duhawks! Welcome to the 2016-17 academic year. Let’s have a great year!
Blessings, President Jim Collins
Rollin’ down the ‘Twisted River’
Faculty and staff perform final installment of Klapatauskas’ trilogy to celebrate 25th anniversary by NATALIE DROESKE | sports co-editor
Loras College hosted the 25th anniversary of the faculty/staff play tradition with “Twisted River of Redemption,” the final part of the “Twisted River” trilogy, on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 and 2. The trilogy, written by Kyle Klapatauskas and directed by Doug Donald, follows fictional character Louis Button (Brad Cavanagh) and his crew and includes a plot to take over Loras College. This installment centers around the evil Dr. Coventry (Fr. Dennis Miller) and his apprentice Edna (Stacia McDermott) as they plot to turn Loras into the world’s largest speakeasy. The comedy/melodrama set in the 1920s kept the audience laughing well after curtain call due to its jokes and jabs at the things that make Loras Loras. “Fictional Loras history with some real historical things embedded” is how Jake Kohlhaas (Fr. Conry) described the setting and theme. For example, Fr. John Conry was the longest-serving president of the photo CONTRIBUTED college. Klapatauskas nodded to that in A group of bar patrons converse at Dr. Coventry’s speakeasy in “Twisted River of addition to making his character the in- Redemption.” 35 faculty and staff members participated in the play this year. terim assistant auxiliary associate dean of academics, the interim director of human Kohlhaas. “They got pretty long, but the eryone supports everybody else in trying to resources, the interim director of security, people involved were all a lot of fun. There do a good job, and I think, to me, that’s the the interim-interim director of institutional wasn’t hardly any time where we weren’t most fun part about it,” said Cavanagh. resources, and an interim backup dancer. “It was a great bonding time; a great time laughing, especially when Doug started “The roles that to get to know people,” said Kohlhaas. people played this While Dr. Jon Burney started the traditime was the most tion of the faculty/staff play as a fundraiser It’s interesting to see when the chair of your fun; it’s always for the Faculty/Staff Scholarship fund, it has faculty – John Eby’s our faculty chair, a really great when people grown into a social and bonding experience get to dress up. It’s for Loras College as a whole, and the addiimportant guy around here – and when he’s interesting to see tion of the comedy factor in this trilogy only dancing around dressed as a nun and as a sheriff when the chair of added to that. and then as a dancer, it really is funny to watch. your faculty – John “The running joke backstage was that I Eby’s our faculty kept saying things like, ‘Oh that’s my favorBrad Cavanagh chair, a really imLead actor in play ite line!’ ‘No, that’s my favorite line!’ because portant guy around everybody had a line that was my favorite here – and when line,” said Cavanagh. “I think Stacia’s charhe’s dancing around acter was the one where I laughed the most dressed as a nun and as a sheriff and then adding in the physical movements and the backstage. There were just so many lines as a dancer, it really is funny to watch,” said physical comedy, like when Stacia jumps where I was laughing backstage.” Cavanagh. While this may be the conclusion to this on Dennis’s back and things like that. That Due to the popularity of the first two added a whole other layer of ridiculous and trilogy, the biannual tradition will surely live installments, Klapatauskas had to write in funny stuff.” on. roughly 14 more parts after auditions in or“I just think it’s really unique; I haven’t It was during rehearsals that the cast realder to incorporate everyone who wanted to ly came together as a community. heard of any other college where faculty and partake. The now-35 person cast had their “We all realized (during rehearsal) that staff do this for a scholarship fund. It’s just work cut out for them. this is definitely not our day job and we’re a really great campus experience. It shows a “Rehearsals were very enjoyable,” said just going to have fun doing it, so I think ev- lot about Loras,” said Kohlhaas.
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